Jacks Win Mayan Division Title at Cancun Challenge

Wednesday, November 25

Cancun, Mexico

2 p.m.

South Dakota State University

6-0

Cleveland State

2-3

South Dakota State

Cleveland State

11/25/2015 6:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

CANCUN, Mexico – South Dakota State ran its season-opening winning streak to six with another balanced offensive attack on Wednesday with a 77-66 win over Cleveland State in the Mayan Division Championship in the Cancun Challenge.

The Jackrabbits 6-0 start equals their best start at the Division I level, while the Vikings fall to 2-3 on the season.

"I just told the guys in the locker room, I don't know if I have been involved in a tournament where we have played this level of talent in the four games we just played and won all of them," head coach Scott Nagy said. "I've coached a long time and that's saying something, so I'm really proud of the way the kids handled themselves."

SDSU opened on an 8-0 run and got its first seven baskets from seven different players, the last being a George Marshall jumper with 10 minutes, 24 seconds left in the first half that put the Jackrabbits up 18-12.

The Jackrabbits led by 14 points at 40-26 with 46 seconds left in the half, but Cleveland state scored the final five points of the first half and the first six points of the second half to cut the SDSU lead to 40-37 with 17:41 remaining.

Two free throws each from Mike Daum and Tevin King snapped the skid and spurred a 14-2 Jackrabbits run that ended with the Jacks leading 54-39 midway through the second half. The lead would grow to as many as 20 points and fall to a low of 11, but the Vikings could get no closer.

Tournament MVP Deondre Parks scored a game-high 18 points in the win, adding seven rebounds, two steals and an assists. An All-tournament team selection, Marshall added 14 points, while Reed Tellinghuisen scored 13 and Daum 12, as the Jackrabbits put at least four players in double figures in all six games this season. Tellinghuisen also finished with a game – and career-high four assists.

Keaton Moffitt, who started for a sick Jake Bittle, scored six points and finished with a game- and career-high 10 rebounds in a career-high 35 minutes of action.

Kenny Carpenter led a pair of Vikings in double figures with 17 points, with Andre Yates adding 10 in the loss.

SDSU looks to keep the streak going on Saturday, when the play at Kansas City to conclude this five-game, four city road trip. The Jackrabbits and Kangaroos tip from Municipal Auditorium at 12:05 p.m.

NOTES: SDSU leads the all-time series with Cleveland State 2-0, with the first win being an 82-78 victory on Dec. 19, 1070 in Brookings … SDSU improves to 3-1 all-time at the Cancun Challenge (1-1 in 2008) … SDSU started 6-0 in 2010-11 … SDSU led at the half in all six games … every Jackrabbit to play in the game scored at least one point … Bittle's team-high streak of consecutive starts ended at 40, Marshall now owns the team's longest streak of starts at 32 … the win gives Nagy 390 career wins, 10 shy of the 400-win milestone